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杂念 (zá niàn) — distracting thoughts; mental distractions; wandering thoughts

Definition

Literally 'mixed/miscellaneous thoughts': stray, intrusive thoughts that pull the mind away from the task or practice at hand. Often used in meditation, study, or spiritual contexts, paired with 排除 ('clear away') or 毫无 ('without any').

noun
distracting thoughtsmental distractionswandering thoughts

Examples

  • 杂念，。
    Dǎ zuò shí yào pái chú yí qiè zá niàn, cái néng rù dìng.
    When meditating, you must eliminate all distracting thoughts to enter a state of concentration.
  • 杂念，。
    Tā xīn zhōng háo wú zá niàn, yì xīn zhī xiǎng wán chéng rèn wu.
    He had no distracting thoughts in his mind and focused solely on completing the task.
  • 杂念，。
    Gōng zuò de shí hou bú yào yǒu zá niàn, fǒu zé róng yì chū cuò.
    Don't have distracting thoughts while working, or you'll easily make mistakes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

杂zámiscellaneous
念niànthought

杂 suggests stray or mixed, and 念 suggests thoughts, so 杂念 means distracting thoughts.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

念 combines 今, an upside-down mouth, with 心, the heart, to listen to one's heart.

Open 念 →
Appears in
Mental Health

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